In fact, she lost her words because he was making valid points.

“That’s unfair.”

Finally, unable to win with words, Serena protested discontentedly while hugging her blanket.

“If you’re just going to stay at home like this, why don’t you go shopping instead? You used to like it.”

Magnus said.

It was something he couldn’t have imagined saying before, but he thought it might be better than being lethargically cooped up at home.

When she first apologized crying, he thought it would only last a day or two.

But it’s been two weeks already.

‘…Though it’s hard to believe.’

Magnus decided to admit it. Serena Lavernia had changed.

But he couldn’t be sure if this change was for the better.

Because Magnus had no standard to compare humans and animals.

‘How can a person become this lazy in an instant?’

Was being kicked out that shocking?

Magnus swallowed, feeling his conscience pricking him unusually.

Even though he had nothing to be sorry for.

Magnus wondered if perhaps he had gotten too angry at her actions in the past, causing her to become lethargic.

In other words, he thought maybe she’d feel better if she went shopping to get back to her old self.

“Shopping? No thanks, I don’t have money.”

But Serena waved her hand as if she didn’t even need to think about it.

Because she wasn’t interested in such things to begin with.

Shopping?

Sleep was more important to her than that.

Of course, money was more important than sleep.

‘Ah, come to think of it, I didn’t tell the Marquis about the divorce.’

While Magnus didn’t notice her confusion, Serena just sighed inwardly, thinking she had forgotten to tell the Marquis of Lavernia.

‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’

And she quickly recovered and shook it off.

After all, she would be expelled from the family anyway, so there was no need to worry about it further.

Serena yawned lightly as she thought about it.

“Money? Since when did you care about such things?”

But Magnus opened his eyes wide as if he had heard something unexpected and questioned in disbelief.

Not repentance, not saying she wouldn’t do it anymore, but money?!

Among the existing nobles, Magnus is the one circulating the most funds in the empire.

He had a lot of money!

At least Serena, who he was still married to, shouldn’t have said such a thing.

“If I’m going to divorce and live alone, I should start caring about it.”

She said, still hugging her blanket without looking up at Magnus who was standing in front of the bed.

Magnus’s insides boiled at her half-n*ked appearance.

Because every time she did this, he heard something cracking as a man.

“We’re not divorced yet.”

“It’s a cooling-off period.”

“So that means you have the right to use my money during this time.”

Is he a pushover?

Serena shook her head.

She felt a bit envious of Magnus, who hadn’t yet experienced the rotten modern society.

“Why would I use money from someone who’s going to be a stranger?”

He felt subtly hurt by her attitude of acting as if they were already strangers.

Magnus has no lingering attachment to Serena.

He doesn’t doubt that fact.

But when the other party comes out with such a nonchalant attitude, it’s like…

How should I put it, like a classmate who always considered you a rival and pounced on you whenever your eyes met, now no longer acknowledging you as a rival?

Or like when an academy peer who annoyed and bothered you every time you met suddenly says they’re moving to another empire, apologizes for everything up until now, and then pretends not to know you even when your eyes meet afterwards…

“We’ve known each other for 16 years, but you don’t seem to have any lingering feelings.”

“Do you have any?”

“Of course not.”

“Same here.”

Serena nodded in agreement.

And there was also a reason why she didn’t feel particularly regretful.

Even if they divorce and live separately, Serena still has to meet Magnus.

There’s no feeling of eternal farewell at all.

From Serena’s perspective, there’s nothing to regret and no particular reason to have lingering feelings.

“Even so, do you think it makes sense that you can’t go shopping because of money? There’s also the Lavernia family.”

“Ah, I can’t use their money anymore either. I’m not part of that family anymore.”

Magnus thought he had misheard.

“What do you mean?”

So he asked again.

“I said I can’t use the Marquis of Lavernia’s money anymore.”

“Don’t tell me the Marquis of Lavernia said he’d cut off your support?”

Magnus thought that assumption was plausible, considering what Serena had done so far.

But if they cut off her support on top of divorcing her, wouldn’t her situation become quite difficult?

‘I’ve heard he’s quite cold-blooded despite his gentle appearance.’

Even if she’s a child he can’t stand to look at, isn’t it too much to cut off support when she’s already getting divorced?

‘I heard the Marchioness collapsed due to stress… but even so.’

Magnus thought the Marquis of Lavernia was heartless, without blood or tears.

“Well, something like that?”

Regardless of what delusions Magnus was having, Serena just lightly affirmed his question.

“I’ve been expelled from the Lavernia family.”

“…What?”

“To be precise, I’m about to be expelled.”

“……”

Magnus’s eyes suddenly filled with strength.

Even if she caused some trouble, tarnished their honor, broke decorations and furniture, and even finally caused the Marchioness to collapse with her eccentric behavior, and is even getting divorced…!

“Did the Marquis of Lavernia say he’s expelling you from the family?”

“Yeah, for 300 mil… no, 30 million gold. We agreed to do that. He said I don’t even need to pay it back.”

“…30 million?”

Is he abandoning his daughter for such a small amount of money?

Unlike Serena, who was speaking quite calmly with her eyes closed, Magnus realized that she must have actually received a great shock inside.

‘…So that’s why she’s been staying in this pigsty every day.’

He could now understand Serena a little.

Because he knew that when people receive a big shock, they become depressed, lethargic, and don’t want to move.

“The Marquis of Lavernia is really going too far!”

Magnus exclaimed, not holding back his rising anger.

In his view, this was an extremely inconsiderate action.

No matter how much trouble a child causes, throwing away their honor and dignity, scattering money around, living in a pigsty, and being a lazy bum who just grows mushrooms… still!

Magnus clenched his fist, thinking words that would have hurt Serena even more if she had known.

“How can they expel you from the family for something like this!”

“…What?”

Serena opened her eyes wide at the sight of Magnus getting angrier than herself.

Serena, who thought empathizing with others’ emotions was a waste of time, resources, and energy, and considered the other person a pushover, was a bit happy this time.

Because Serena’s heart suddenly felt clear and refreshed.

‘That’s what I wanted to say!’

She finally realized why she felt a subtle stuffy feeling in her chest since returning from the Lavernia mansion.

It was because she was irritated but couldn’t release it.

‘My goodness, so that’s what it was.’

She hadn’t expressed her dissatisfaction out loud for so long that she couldn’t even distinguish if it was dissatisfaction or stress.

When Magnus scratched that part at once, Serena felt relieved.

“Magnus, you… are a good guy.”

Serena said as she firmly grasped Magnus’s clenched fist.

Magnus flinched at the soft fingers touching him.

This is the first time they’ve had such contact while living as a married couple.

Because whenever Magnus accidentally touched her, Serena would glare at him with the most contemptuous eyes in the world.

He felt like he became a tremendous scoundrel, so Magnus also tried not to get too close to Serena.

“I guess I wanted to hear those words.”

“…What the Marquis of Lavernia did was too harsh.”

Life returned to Serena’s rotten fish-like eyes, which had been as limp as a pig about to be slaughtered.

‘Was she… this lonely?’

Magnus thought, recalling the words she had said crying in front of him about two weeks ago.